There can be great self-gratification that comes from participating in a clinical trial in the hopes of coming up with a promising treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Unfortunately, there has been very little good news on the clinical trial front, with a new study showing that the most recent drug released to the market, Roche’s crenezumab did not slow or prevent cognitive decline.
There was a recent story in The Future of Personal Health about Donald Macintosh, a smart attorney with a good memory who had a 25-year career but now can’t make a cup of coffee or remember what he ate for lunch. He was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, an affliction that impacts 6 million Americans. He is now excited to be participating in a clinical trial for a new Alzheimer’s drug which could slow the progress of the disease. “It’s a privilege,” he says. “Not everyone is in such a trial because either they don’t know about it or they don’t meet the requirements,” he added. Although Donald had to drop out of the most recent trial due to side effects, he is looking forward to joining others. He has no regrets about participating. “Even if it doesn’t benefit me personally, it will benefit other people in the future,” he said.
Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and my grandmother died of this terrible disease. There are some great people at the Alzheimer’s Association in Monterey at Ryan’s Ranch that can help you if you are dealing with a family member with dementia. They also have a 24 hour hotline at 1-800-272-3900.